


Nines Isn't Dumb, He's Confused

by Fizzabel



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: DBH, DBH Summer Exchange, Gift Fic, I hope you like this dear receiver of this, M/M, idiot Nines needs more love, nines puts a pigeon in his mouth, this was so much fun to write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-10-04 09:15:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20468621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fizzabel/pseuds/Fizzabel
Summary: Nines tries to find his feelings and understand how on earth the human world works after only knowing how to shoot people with no remorse.A gift fic as part of the DBH Summer Exchange! For @rk900-conrad on Tumblr :D





	Nines Isn't Dumb, He's Confused

Nines wasn’t the brightest deviant in the world. Connor didn’t know if when he deviated him that his wires got tied in a knot, or if his infinite knowledge somehow completely missed social interaction. He questioned how he could have possibly passed the Turing Test in this state. If every android stood in a line and was told to paint themselves the colour green, Nines would paint himself neon pink, that’s how much he stood out if Connor didn’t keep an eye on him. Hank argued he was programmed that way, because his allocated name was simply ‘Nines’, and he was built for the military so maybe being... ‘violent’ would be more accepted there. But while he is a dumbass, Connor claims that he’s shown affection, although Hank has never seen it. It was true thou

Nines wasn’t the brightest deviant in the world. Connor didn’t know if when he deviated him that his wires got tied in a knot, or if his infinite knowledge somehow completely missed social interaction. He questioned how he could have possibly passed the Turing Test in this state. If every android stood in a line and was told to paint themselves the colour green, Nines would paint himself neon pink, that’s how much he stood out if Connor didn’t keep an eye on him.

Hank argued he was programmed that way, because his allocated name was simply ‘Nines’, and he was built for the military so maybe being... ‘violent’ would be more accepted there. But while he is a dumbass, Connor claims that he’s shown affection, although Hank has never seen it. It was true though; Connor would get kisses on his cheeks and forehead, or a pat on the head, and sometimes a simple rub on the back. Presumably learned from observing how Connor treated Sumo. “He’s just learning how to process his feelings and all the stimulation.” Connor would say, having only deviated a couple of weeks ago and his social skills were still average at best.

“You’re both children.” Hank would always say in response.

Hank still worked at the DPD, Detroit still needed its officers and as many as it could get after a few ran in fear and they lost all but two of the androids cops beside Connor. And Nines, but his career at the DPD.. didn’t last very long. Connor was hardly at the DPD either, or even Jericho; his current objective (because he liked to give himself something to do) was to ‘stop Nines doing something stupid’.

Day one of being at the DPD when Connor was giving Nines a tour of the place, he grabbed a pigeon through an open window and shoved it straight into his mouth. Nines had a shit eating grin on his face with a spinning blue LED, so _he _thought it was funny, but Connor and everybody else stared right at him. They let it slide, it just meant he had some serious lessons to learn. Too serious. He met Gavin pretty soon after, and that in ended in a pair of damaged.. well. Gavin teased the android about the pigeon situation, so Nines began to unmercifully roast Gavin about his entire self which got him “a weak ass little punch”, before having one reciprocated right where the sun don’t shine.

Nines hasn’t been back to the DPD since.

Instead, he’s with Connor. The weather is cold so not many people are around, and they get the park to themselves. “I know it’s mostly gone now, but I do sometimes reference my previous coding on how to react in social situations. I learn mostly from Hank now, but if I need to then there’s nothing wrong with knowing what you were told to believe.” Connor explained, walking down the path slightly ahead. “Do you get what I mean?”

“Not really.” Nines grumbled. Happiness wasn’t a default emotion for him. “I wasn’t programmed with any, I’m just an elite at every fighting technique and martial art known to man. I can wield any weapon you give me, whether knife or gun. I wasn’t programmed to make buddies with coworkers.”

Connor knew he wasn’t trying to be malicious, he was just stating facts. “Well, better late than never, right?” It was like the optimist vs the pessimist. “Try with that woman over there, go and say hello.”

Nines looked over and immediately scanned the woman. Jessica Blaire, 32, no criminal record, history of seizures, blood type AB+. He gave Connor a sceptical look, unsure of himself. “Go on, I’m sure Jessica is nice.”

He took in a deep breath, and walked off towards the woman. Connor stood at a safe distance to watch, having his fingers mentally crossed. He couldn’t hear what he was saying, and their faces were fairly small so expressions were hard to read. Nines could zoom in with his vision, but Connor could only read her information up close. She was reaching for her bag, so maybe she was in a rush? Or- “Nines!!” Connor cried and ran over.

“You creep! I don’t know how you know that shit but get away from me! You may be people now which means you have to ask my permission to scan me like that!” And she ran off, clutching to her bag.

Connor was shocked. What the hell did Nines do?! That woman just smacked him over the head with her handbag! He was about to scold him, but Nines looked.. upset. He looked to Connor for advice. “I just said hello and apologised for her history of seizures.. I told her I scanned her and she hit me.” Connor sighed at that.

He just smiled at Nines and shrugged. “Practice makes perfect, nobody gets it right first try. Let’s keep walking.”

To distract the younger android, he started talking about nature. How he liked to sit in silence and just listen to it all when he’d go out walking Sumo. The dog would bark across the park while Connor would watch a nearby bird flutter through the branches and into a nest. Listen to traffic, or the conversations of people walking by.

Touch the trees, feel the petals on flowers and sniff the scented ones. Input he wouldn’t necessarily get otherwise, and he wouldn’t scan it. Why learn about the chemicals in tree bark? Or the types of pollen in a daisy? He was more surprised daisies grew at this time of year. He suggested Nines give it a try.. and the dumb android licked a bench, shortly followed by eating some bark and chanting out the chemical structures inside. “You know there’s a difference between analysing everything and experiencing it instead, right?” Nines tilted his head to the side. “Don’t scan it, just.. touch it. Don’t lick it, apparently humans really hate that.”

Connor sat down in the grass and spread his fingers wide to feel as much as possible. Grass was his favourite thing in the world so far, after animals of course. It just.. felt so nice. It appeared after the snow melted and in the mornings it would be wet, during the day it would be dry, and at night it would stiffen enough to leave footprints. “Carbon, oxygen, nitrogren, phosphorous. Feeds its chloroplasts and cellulose through photosynthesis.” Connor looked over and Nines had some grass in his mouth which he quickly spat out. “Sorry, it’s an instinct for me. I see something and as soon as I touch it, I.. I have to scan it at least. I’m not sure how not to.”

“You’ll get used to it, and your processors will be thankful for it. It feels really human, and that’s the best feeling in the world..”

“So far.”

He hummed. “Sure, so far.”

It’s quiet. Connor has his eyes closed and is feeling the winter breeze on his face, setting off the reaction of a blue blush; to simulate a human’s cheeks getting flushed in the cold. It really showed his freckles when his nose lit up too. He heard Nines sit down next to him followed by some ripping sounds. He opened one eye to see Nines pulling up grass and creating a chain out of them. Like a daisy chain, only with blades of grass. Connor sat up properly and watched the android for a while, his precision with eat cut to pass the blade through and knot it securely. “You’re not telling me something, Nines. What’s the matter?”

“It’s embarrassing.”

“Embarrassing?”

“This. Everything I’m doing. I know I shouldn’t shove a bird in my mouth but I do it anyway. Or chew bark like a dog! I’m not.. I’m not a dog, and I’m not a machine. I’m a real person, so why can’t I act like one?! Nothing is improving and it’s preventing you from doing your jobs. I get all these feelings and emotions but I can’t understand or decipher a single one! I was made to hurt others with no remorse, to not feel anything. No friendships, nothing. I can’t understand this damned world if I can’t even understand myself.”

“Nines..” Connor moved over in the grass so they were sat next to each other. “You can tell me anything, you know that, right?” He nodded. “So tell me what’s really going on in your head. There’s more to you than just being a bit dim.. You’re afraid.”

Nines sighed. “You haven’t talked about these.. _feelings _before. I don’t know what they’re called, I mean- when I’m with you, I feel my thirium pump constrict and my blue blood isn’t pumped as regularly. I feel short of words to speak, my wires get crossed and I come up.. blank! You’re the only person, android or otherwise, that I’ve felt this for. Hank I have no feelings for, perhaps gratitude for how he is helping me, and detective Reed could get shot and I’d hardly care. But you? I- I don’t know about you! It’s driving me insane.” His LED flickered into yellow, a couple flashes of red in there. “What is this..? What am I feeling, Connor?!”

Connor was blushing blue, staring at him. Nines was looking right back at him, but he clearly couldn’t read his emotions. He wasn’t built like that. Too cold to care. “Well.. uh.. it’s affection. I’m really no expert but it is.. almost like love. Hank taught me what it was and I told him I loved him, but apparently that wasn’t the correct thing to say.. there’s lots of types of affection, for friends or for family, and partners. Hank said the best way to find out, is just explore the feelings.” He smiled at him. “Feel free to express any feelings you’ve got around me, I really don’t mind. I understand what you’re going through.”

The other android looked away, his way of ending the conversation. He didn’t mean to seem rude, but his thoughts had already gone elsewhere. A couple across the park were sat like they were, but holding hands. Nines took Connor’s sd and held it, watching the couple. He wanted to be like them! Then the couple turned to face each other and they exchanged a soft kiss… “Nines, what are you-“ Nines cut him off with a kiss, an awkward, out of place kiss.

It was totally weird, but within a couple seconds, their programs had turned the kiss into something much more perfect; their lips were aligned, Nines tilted his head to the side so their noses weren’t squished, and he changed the pressure to something a little more intimate. Blushes bloomed in their cheeks, their hands held each other a little tighter, their bodies leaned closer towards one another… When Nines pulled away, they stayed quiet for a few moments. “Why.. why did you kiss me?” Connor asked, his gaze fixed on his lips.

“You said I should explore my feelings.” He felt his pump constrict. “Did I do something wrong again..?”

Connor chuckled and shook his head. “No, no. I’ve got feelings to explore too, about you,” he looked at him now, “and Hank, and everyone else I know. Although, if you want to keep kissing me as an experiment, I’m open to it all..” He chuckled again, nervous.

That had to be the first thing Nines had done ‘correctly’ that day, so in a burst of joy he kissed Connor again with enough force to push them both down into the grass. Connor burst into laughter and wrapped his arms around Nines in a hug, holding him close while he kept on kissing him. He let Nines lead, seeming to enjoy the wild array of small kisses to his lips and forehead. He even retracted the skin on his hand and sent his emotion, sending him all the turmoil he’d been feeling that had now been released in a burst of love.

When he first felt the emotions come through Connor felt panic; because last time Nines tried to share how he felt with him, Nines almost short circuited himself. He’d either been practicing, or he got lucky this time around. This was so relaxing, and fresh, and new! This is what life is about!

_Beep beep. Beep beep. _Connor sighed and he gently pushed Nines off of him. His daily timer to say ‘Hank will be home in 30 minutes’. The man got grumpy if dinner wasn’t prepared for him, keeping the two androids to the promise of “you can eat whatever you want if we don’t have dinner prepared within ten minutes of you coming home.” He had take out every time Nines cooked.

They got up from the grass and held hands, walking along the path again. “So what do you say to cooking tonight? You feel up to it?” Connor asked, looking up at him and squeezing his hand.

Nines smiled a crooked smile. “Sure, why not. I’ll try not to melt any baking trays this time..”


End file.
